


Highland Eternal Garden Mental Asylum (Recently been updated to make more sense so reread if you want)

by Benny_Boiii



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Anorexia, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Borderline Personality Disorder, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Homophobia, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mental Health Issues, Non-Consensual Electroconvulsive Therapy, Other, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Racism, Schizophrenia, Science Experiments, Science Fiction, Self-Harm, Solitary Confinement, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:47:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24149947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benny_Boiii/pseuds/Benny_Boiii
Summary: This story follows a group of patients as they struggle with their mental illnesses, and the system actively fighting against their safety. Our cast includes Milo: a young orphaned man who'd been fighting for his life on the streets, Charlie Smith: a young teen who has never known a normal life, Damion Williams: a young man who is stuck fighting to control himself, Lilian Holly: An anxious young women who is just trying to get by, Marcus Young: A gay man forced to relive his past traumas, and Angel Lewis: A young girl with multiple personality disorder and an attitude. This story travels through the triumphs and downfalls of all 6Please understand that this is not entirely based in fact and I've added sci fi elements cause why tf not. This is my own damn fic leave me alone
Kudos: 2





	1. Patient Files

**Author's Note:**

> This is NOT for the faint of heart AT ALL and there are some SERIOUS trigger warnings, so just assume that each chapt comes with a trigger warning (I'll make sure to add them in with the notes or something too so I don't have people yelling at me for not putting up a trigger warning)

_Personal Notes: All patients are being administered Electro-Shock therapy (known as ECT by the patients) by McNeil (to give him something to do to whip these sheep into shape). So far, none of the Patients have shown promise in my hypothesis, except one, but she's quite the handful... the newest patient though... I have a feeling he'll be very.. very.. useful_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient Name: Marcus Young

Age: 36

Sex: Male

Diagnosis: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Origin: New York City, NY

Background: Mr. Young came to our facility 5 years ago and is one of the first patients here at Highland Eternal Gardens. Overall has a very high spirit, but has frequent flashbacks and nightmares to him and his boyfriend from college getting attacked in the streets. The boyfriend did not survive. Young's parents sent him here to help him recover, with an added note to see if we could "Purge him of his heavenly sins". Mr. Young is married to a man who frequently visits but after an attempted assist in escape has been barred from entering. Since then, Mr. Young has become closer with a newer patient named Angel Lewis and was seen to be helping her, though they are now kept apart

Medications: None

Treatments: Conversion Therapy

Op. 13-a: Not promising

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient Name: Angel Lewis

Age: 7

Sex: Female

Diagnosis: Multiple Personality Disorder

Origin: Miami, FL

Background: Miss Lewis is rather new at the facility, having only been here for 3 months. She is known to have 5 distinct personalities, though there are thought to be more. Lewis's main personality is that of any normal child of her age, but her others are trend being more aggressive and inappropriate. Lewis was admitted when one of her personalities injured a student in her class. _Note: MPD has hence been renamed Dissosiative Identity disorder since the drafting of this file_

Medications: None

Treatments: Confinement

Op. 13-a: Not promising

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient Name: Lilian Holly

Age: 21

Sex: Female

Diagnosis: Anxiety, Anorexia 

Origin: Sacramento, CA

Background: Miss Holly is one of the newest of the patients and has only been here for a month and she has had a past with self harm and has been experiencing symptoms of the above ailments since High School. Holly eventually confessed after passing out due to malnutrition and her parents sent her to our facility. Holly is very shy and does not interact with other patients, despite being told to

Medications: benzodiazepines [ _asenapine]_

Treatments: Confinement, surveillance while eating and strict diet

Op. 13-a: Not promising

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient Name: Damion Williams 

Age: 24

Sex: Male

Diagnosis: Borderline Personality Disorder

Origin: New York City, NY

Background: Mr. Williams has always been known to have anger issues and trouble controlling his emotions and actions, but was only recently diagnosed. He has been here for a little over a year and has seen little to no improvement and has undergone several treatment options. Mr. Williams does not get along with many patients, but appears to have a soft spot for Lilian Holly, though they are kept apart after Mr. Williams hit her with a lunch tray after she was too slow in collecting her meal

Medications: asenapine [ _dosulepin]_

Treatment: Confinement

Op. 13-a: Little promise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient Name: Charlotte Smith

Age: 19

Sex: Female

Diagnosis: Severe Schizophrenia 

Origin: Montgomery, AL

Background: Miss Smith has been a resident of Highland Eternal Gardens since she was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at the age of 16. Smith is the only patient kept in solitary confinement after numerous escape attempts, several attempted suicides, and many fights with the staff. Smith also had a history of self harm prior to her diagnosis so is largely kept in a straitjacket. When Smith was admitted, her parents complained of her having an "Identity Crisis" and has requested Conversion therapy

Medications: asenapine _[benzodiazepines]_

Treatment: Conversion Therapy, solitary confinement

Op. 13-a: Very promising

_Note: Since the results of op. 13-a testing has been promising, I've begun administering Ma-467 to enhance results_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patient Name: Milo _(No last Name on record)_

Age: Estimated to be 24

Sex: Male

Diagnosis: _TBD_

Origin: Detroit, MI

Background: Milo is the newest patient, having only been sent here two days ago. Still awaiting for him to awake but was told to have been found wandering the streets in a delirious state

Medications: _TBD_

Treatment: _TBD_


	2. Awakening in Hell

Milo began stirring in an unfamiliar place, and with a killer headache. He was used to that though, a night out on the streets with either no food, no water, or just the result of a brutal street fight would do that to you. Plus, for the most part, wherever he was felt semi comfortable, so he wasn't one to complain. That was of course until someone rudely awoke him from his slumber. "Ah so he's alive" a male voice said, rather loudly, that fully awoken Milo with a groan "The hell am I-" he said groggily as he tried to look around the room. It looked like some sort of hospital room, which made no sense to Milo because he wasn't injured, as far as he could tell at least. The last thing he remembered was... well... he couldn't exactly make it out, but he remembered something sharp poking his leg and then all of a sudden he was down on the ground and out cold

"You're at the Highland Eternal Garden Mental Asylum" The male voice said and Milo squinted around the room before seeing the source of the voice. Like he had guessed it belonged to that of a man who was rather on the shorter side with shortly cropped brown hair. He looked like your average Joe, except he was clad in a nurses's outfit. Damn so he was in some sort of hospital- "Wait did you say Mental Asylum??" Milo asked groggily and the nurse nodded "Yep!! Shipped ya all the way over here to beautiful Massachusetts alllllll the way from Detroit!!"he said and Milo groaned. What the hell was he doing in a Mental Asylum?? And why was this guy so fucking annoying-

"What the fuck am I doing here??" Milo asked as he tried to sit up, only to realize he'd been strapped down to the bed "Well when we got the call of some hobo deliriously walking down the streets, we just KNEW that we had to take them in!!" The nurse said as Milo struggled against his confines "Firstly, I'm not a fucking hobo, I just happen to be homeless, and secondly, why don't I remember coming here??" Milo asked as the nurse went to check some sort of monitor "Oh silly, that's because you were tranquilized!!" he said and Milo froze. Now he understood why he felt so bad, and why he couldn't remember clearly what had last happened _"How the hell could this guy be so upbeat while talking about tranquing someone-"_ Milo thought before addressing the nurse

"So.. you drugged me and strapped me down to a bed.. in a loony bin??" Milo asked and the nurse laughed, though something about it felt off, almost forced "Oh no, this isn't a loony bin, this is the Highland Eternal Garden Mental Asylum!! And we strapped you down for extra precautions. We're down staff since um... well we're really down staff, and we have a history of patients being violent, so we just had to make sure, especially since we couldn't find any files about you anywhere!! How crazy is that?!" Milo pursed his lips, deciding then and there that he did NOT like this nurse, if for any reason other than this guy was WAY too obnoxiously happy for some weird reason

"If you looked hard enough I guess you could find something" Milo said and the nurse turned back to him "That's the thing, we looked EVERYWHERE and we just couldn't find ANYTHING!! So we thought, 'Why not just ask the guy when he wakes up?!' So here i am now!!" The nurse said and Milo sighed "Well tough luck, I've been on my own for so long I don't even got any memories of having any sort of family so looks like you struck out" he said and the nurse dropped his happy act for a moment, only to pick it right back up "Oh don't be silly, everyone's got a family" he said and Milo just shook his head "Well then I ain't everybody, now can I get something for this headache?? I feel like I'm dying over here" he said and the nurse shook his head

"No can do, we aren't allowed to give patients any sort of medication that isn't related to their mental conditions according to the boss. The last time we did some poor soul decided to OD on them a couple years back. So now we regulate ALL medications, and got rid of anything like Tylenol or Ibuprofen" the nurse explain and Milo just stared at him like he was the insane patient. What kind of medical institution didn't have basic medication?! "Fine, whatever, but can you unstrap me?? I'm not violent or whatever" Milo said but the nurse shook his head again "I can't do that either, sorry Mister, but you have to have your consultation with the boss first" he said and Milo groaned "Fine, when is that??" Milo asked and the nurse checked the time "Hm... I'd say about 3 hours, the boss is VERY busy right now taking care of some important work. Wouldn't wanna bother them" he said and Milo groaned again

"Whatever, just leave me alone then?? You're making my headache worse" he said and the nurse apologized before leaving with an enthusiastic "Buh bye now!!". Milo sighed and flopped back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the hell his life would be like now. As far as he knew he wasn't crazy, but then again, he wasn't sure about a lot of things anymore. Nothing was certain when you lived on the streets. Milo started to drift back to sleep before he heard a little girl's voice that startled him awake again "Daddy Daddy!! The Hobo is alive!!" it said and Milo groaned before sitting up as best he could and turning his head towards the door to find a little girl with dark skin and unruly coily hair standing in the door with... Angel wings?? Milo blinked a few times but the Angel wings were still there "What the fuck are you??" Milo asked and the girl gasped

"Daddy the Hobo said a mean word!!" She said and a moment later a man appeared in the doorway behind the little girl. The man was about average height and had the same skin tone of the little girl, though he did have some extra weight to him. Milo wouldn't have been surprised if the two were actually related. "I'm not a fucking hobo!!" Milo cursed and the large man laughed before picking up the little girl with wings "Daddy the hobo needs to see Sir Smiles so he can shock the bad outta him" she said and the large man chuckled before crossing over to Milo "I'm sorry about little Angel here. It's not too often we get new people" the man said as the Angel girl stuck her tongue out at Milo "I don't like him Daddy" she said and Milo stuck her tongue right back at the little girl who gasped

The man laughed before setting the girl down "Where are my manners, my name is Marcus Young, and you are??" he asked and Milo kept his eyes trained on the little girl with the odd features "Milo-" he said "And why does that girl have wings??" He asked and Angel perked up "I don't have wings you hobo!!" she said and the man, Marcus, gave Milo a weird look "Guess you might be another Schizo like Charlie, they've said the same thing" he said and Milo blinked a couple times to try and clear his head "I'm sorry. I just woke up from being drugged and you seem like a nice dude, but can you explain what the fuck is going on?!" Milo asked and Angel gasped "Daddy he-" she started to say but Marcus quieted her

"I'm sorry, let me try and explain" he said and sat down on the edge of Milo's bed. "You're in an asylum. I'm assuming Nurse McNeil came and visited you already yes??" Marcus asked and Milo raised an eyebrow "If you mean the obnoxious guy who wouldn't shut up then yeah" he said an Angel giggled "I call him Sir Smiles a lot but BB calls him a naughty name" she said and Marcus chuckled "Yeah, McNeil is an.. odd character... but he isn't as bad as the boss" he said and looked away for a split second, as if a bad memory had been brought up before turning back to Milo "Anyways, this is rather a small facility, better to keep quiet about what goes on in here" Marcus continued and sighed "It's not the best.. and I'm so sorry you got brought here" he said and Milo raised an eyebrow

"What goes on here??" He asked and Angel shuddered "Bad things.." she said and Marcus nodded "You ever heard about ECT??" He asked and Milo nodded "That's the shock thing right??" he asked and Marcus nodded "Mhm.. only this seems more like torture. It's not like how it is at other facilities. This one?? They just shock ya. It's unregulated by the government as far as I know, and I've been here the longest of the people here" he said and Milo's heart dropped. Why had he gotten dragged into this hellhole?! "How wonderful-" Milo said and Marcus sighed "I know... but hopefully you won't get anything else added on" he said and Milo groaned "Cause of course shocking the shit outta you isn't enough??" He asked and Marcus nodded "I know it sounds bad... and it is... but we're stuck with it" he said and Angel nodded

"On the brighter side, the other patients here aren't half bad" he suggested and Milo pursed his lips "Cause a bunch of insane people can be nice??" He asked and Angel pouted "I reeeally don't like this guy Daddy" she said and Marcus sighed "We're all just people put into a bad situation" he said "But we've learned to manage. And we're not as far gone as the staff thing. Some of us here, Charlie especially, are geniuses" he said and Milo bit his lip "You've mentioned this Charlie kid twice. what's the deal??" he asked and Angel giggled "Charlie the champ!!" she said and clapped excitedly "Charlie's the only one that's been able to escape!! Though they keep getting brought back.. they're in solitary confinement again" Angel said matter-o-factly and Marcus nodded

"Charlies's been here for a couple years, and they've got the scoop about everything. It's insane what that kid can do" he said and smiled fondly as Milo tried to take in everything "Is.. they?? huh??" Milo asked before trying to rub his temples, only to remember that his hands were still restrained and Marcus laughed "Yep. Them. They identify with the Non-Binary group I think they said, though the staff don't take to kindly to that. Plopped them in conversion therapy with me" he said and sighed and Milo cocked his head to the side "They got that shit here too??" he asked and Angel was about to protest but Milo shot a glare at her "Can it kid" he said and Angel pursed her lips and reluctanly stayed quiet

"Mhm" Marcus said "It's really just Charlie and I in there trying to get indoctrinated away from "The sin of homosexuality" which hasn't really worked, but they keep trying" he said and rolled his eyes "Huh- good to know-" Milo mumbled and Marcus chuckled "Did McNeil mention anything about a boss??" he asked and Milo nodded "Yeah, said I've got 3 hours" he said and Angel smirked "Daddy I can bust him outta those confines" she said and Milo looked down at the little girl "You can?? I'm really uncomfortable" he said and Marcus laughed "I think we've got some time yeah, hopefully we don't get caught, but I think Damion and Charlie made a big enough distraction for us after busting outta solitary" he said as Angel hopped up onto Milo's bed and got to work on his confines "Distraction??" Milo asked and Marcus nodded

"Like I said, Charlie's a mastermind, knows just how to get it so some of us can walk around freely and get a bit of a break from all this madness" he said as Angel freed Milo who sighed with content "Thanks kid" he said and Angel beamed "Now you gotta stop cursing" she said and Milo rolled his eyes "Mhm sure" he said and Marcus chuckled before standing up "I can see if Lilian wants to see anyone, and maybe we can catch Damion or Charlie after a bit but they're plopped in ECT" he said as Milo slipped out of bed, only to nearly topple over as stars danced in front of his eyes, though Marcus caught before he hit the floor "Easy there, I'll help you walk" he said before turning back to Angel "Angel can you stay here and make sure no one comes in??" he asked and Angel giggled before saluting "You got it Daddy" she said before Marcus flashed her a smile "Wonderful, we won't be gone for too long" he called before helping Milo walk out into the halls of Hell


	3. Exploring

As Marcus led Milo through the halls of the facility, Milo slowly but surely regained his ability to walk steadily without stars dancing in his vision. Marcus explained that there were 10 patient rooms, about half of which were empty and 2 solitary confinement rooms, one of which was where Charlie, this mysterious mastermind was currently being kept. There was a main cafeteria where the patients would eat, and 3 separate rooms where "therapy" was carried out. One for ECT, another for personalized therapies where Marcus and Charlie went for their conversion therapy and where some of the other patients went for their own specified reasons, and the final one.. well. No one knew quite what happened there

"There's 2 bathhouses, male and female, and then the visitation room. Well- it doesn't get used anymore thanks to me but it's still there" Marcus explained and Milo gave him a look "What did you do??" he asked and Marcus sighed "My husband and some of his friends tried to bust me out after I told him what they were doing. Got him banned from ever coming near here and eventually got visitations shut down all together" he said and Milo pursed his lips "Damn- I'm sorry man" he said but Marcus just waved it away "It's fine, I'm just glad I got to see him when I could" he said and tried to muster a smile, but Milo knew enough about people to know that there was a hint of sadness behind it

"So why're you here??" Milo asked and Marcus shrugged "PTSD I suppose, they never told me my actual diagnosis, and I don't get medicated for it, so I just assumed based on what I knew about it and the symptoms I have" he said and Milo nodded in sympathy "I'm really sorry to hear that-" he said and Marcus waved it away again "There's no need to apologize for anything, but at least we know you're empathetic. For a moment I thought you were some sort of sociopath" Marcus said and laughed while Milo chuckled nervously, not sure to be offended or not

"Ah here we are, this is Lilian's room, let's see if she's in here" Marcus said as they came to a closed door. Marcus knocked softly before opening the door and peaking into the dark room. Milo looked over his shoulder, and saw a young woman curled up on the bed, facing the door. Her eyes were open, and they looked a bit red, and from the looks of it, the women looked rather frail. Milo could easily see bone at some points, and her clothes didn't seem to fit right. Her skin was rather pale and sickly looking, and when she sat up she looked like she could fall apart at a slight breeze "Marcus..??" she asked softly and the large man nodded

"It's me sweetie, how've ya been??" he asked as he slowly crossed over to her. Milo stayed in the doorway, seeing it fit to wait for the timid girl to invite him inside "I've been alright I guess.." the girl, Lilian said and sighed before noticing Milo in the door "Who's that..??" she asked nervously and Marcus gently took her hand "It's the new guy, he's not so bad, kinda nice when you get to know him" he said and chuckled as Milo rolled his eyes "The name's Milo" he said as he crossed over to the two "And yeah, I'm new here" he added and Lilian nodded slightly before shifting to fully face the two men "I'm Lilian in case Marcus hasn't told you... how are you two even out??" she asked and Marcus winked "Angel worked a bit of her magic, plus some help from Damion and Charlie" he said and Lilian broke into a bit of a smile

"Wanna get outta here and walk around?? It could do you some good" Marcus said but Lilian shook her head "I'm fine... you two should go though" she said and Marcus nodded before getting up "Nice to meet you Milo..." Lilian said softly and Milo nodded back to her "You too" he said before Marcus led him out of the room, shutting the door behind them. "What's she in here for??" Milo asked and Marcus sighed "A bad case of Anorexia, and Anxiety by the looks of it" he said and shook his head "Poor girl... she's only been here a couple months and these bastards have already wrecked her.." he said and sighed again. Milo barely knew the girl, but his heart already ached to hear about all of these horrible things that were happening to these people. Why had he never heard about this place before?? Shouldn't it be all over the news??

"Ah Mr. Young!! I see you're escorting our new friend around" A female voice purred and Marcus stopped before groaning and flashing a smile as a female Nurse crossed into view. "Nurse Johnson.. what a lovely surprise" Marcus said, doing his best to fake enthusiasm as the Nurse giggled. Milo could tell that her nursing outfit wasn't very... professional... as all he got was an eyeful of Nurse Johnson's... assets... both up top and down low. Milo gulped and looked away as he heard the nurse giggle. Clearly she wasn't a real nurse and whoever had hired her just used her to persuade patients to behave. He had a feeling this nurse was also in charge of Marcus's special therapy

"What a fine young man he is" Nurse Johnson purred as she made her way over to Milo, puffing out her chest to try and attract his attention "Miss Johnson.. would you be so kind as to not tell the boss that we were out?? I just wanted to help our new friend here get the lowdown of this fine establishment" Marcus charmed and Miss Tits giggled before pressing herself against Milo, who felt his face heating up "Of course.. but what do I get in return??" she purred as she busied herself with playing with Milo's long and unruly hair. Milo gulped again and tried to keep his hands off of the Nurse, but a catch like this on the streets, especially one who seemed so... eager would've been a goldmine to him

"How about you pop by this fine young man's room later tonight hm??" Marcus asked and Nurse Johnson giggled "Sounds fair enough.. have fun you two" she purred close to Milo's ear before walking off. Milo felt like he was about to fall apart and as soon as the nurse was gone Marcus shivered and grew a bit anxious "Sorry- just a habit I picked up-" he said as he wrung his hands "Johnson is easy to bribe and- I don't like offering myself up..So i just- y'know.." Marcus said and Milo nodded before shaking his head, not sure if he should be mad about being sold out just so they could walk around, or ecstatic about what would happen later that night

"Don't get too attached to her kid" Marcus said as he took a couple deep breaths "She's a beast, nice as pie one minute, cause a whole slew of issues the next" he said and Milo fixed his hair "She seemed sweet enough, what's a gal like her doing in a shithole like this??" he asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer "Bribes. Making sure patients behave. She gets a fat stack of cash and gets the rest of us in trouble. But Charlie found out that that head ain't empty, and we learned how to use her to get our way. Only it uh- well as you saw.." Marcus said and sighed shakily

"You've been the one having to deal with the bribes??" Milo asked and Marcus nodded as he rung his hands again "She'll only do it with men- and Damion refuses to most of the time.. so I've done it-" he said and Milo couldn't help but apologize again, even though Marcus had told him not to "Well I guess I'll do it now. Miss Tits seemed to like me, and I don't want you giving yourself anything worse to handle" Milo said but Marcus shook his head "You just got here, it's not fair, what I did wasn't right-" Marcus said as his breathing picked up. Milo bit his lip as he could tell the large man was starting to panic, but he had no clue how to help him

"Hey- Marcus- just uh-" Milo started to say before cursing himself and trying again "Just let me do it, please. You guys have all been trapped here for way too long and y'all deserve some sort of freedom. Just let me do this, I don't mind it at all" Milo said and Marcus looked up at him "A-are you sure about this..??" He asked and Milo nodded "Of course, and hey, you need then freedom to roam more than I do, you seem like the only person keeping people like Angel and Lilian together, you've gotta be out and about" he said and Marcus rubbed the back of his neck before sighing "Thank you Milo.." he said and Milo flashed a half a smile, even though he knew he's bsed the whole thing

"PICKASIDEGENTSCOMINGTHROUGH" A voice yelled and Milo couldn't quite tell if it was male or female, or even what they had said as Marcus ducked to a side, though Milo was a bit slow and got run over by a large, muscular man with tan skin carrying a... guy?? Girl?? on his back. This must've been Damion and Charlie "Well Shit D you ju-ju- fucking f-... cram- crushed the gent!!" The person who Milo assumed was Charlie stammered before the big man stopped and turned around "No time! Gotta run!!" he said before going back on the run as a voice called out from not too far away "Mr. Williams!! Miss Smith!! Please report to your rooms this instant!!" Milo heard McNeil call and Marcus's eyes went wide. Milo pushed himself up, despite how badly his head hurt and ducked into a room with Marcus right as the nurse passed

Milo and Marcus held their breaths before they peaked out and realized it was safe with a sigh of relief. "What.. the fuck.. just happened??" Milo asked as he rubbed his head and Marcus sighed "That." he started "Was Damion and Charlie. Damion is the big guy, looks like he could be a wrestler, and Charlie's the little guy on his back. Damion's in here for.. something similar to Angel, a personality disorder, and Charlie's in here for Schizophrenia like I mentioned" he finished. "That why he- she- it??" Milo said and Marcus corrected "They" "Ah- yeah- that why they were being carried??" he asked and Marcus shrugged

"Could be, when Charlie gets stressed their symptoms tend to worsen. They have trouble walking and speaking, that's why they had so much trouble talking to Damion. Sometimes they'll ramble about nonsense or start hallucinating more regularly. It just depends on how bad it is" he said and and Milo nodded "And you think I got- that??" he asked and Marcus shrugged again "You did say Angel had wings was it?? Charlie's the only one to have said the same thing like I said and we know they hallucinate. Can't think of anything else that could cause hallucinations like that" he said and Milo sighed

He had a feeling he should’ve known if he was messed up like that but who knows anything anymore?? He couldn’t even remember what had happened a couple days ago. Maybe he was sick after all- “Anyways, we should get going. If Charlie and Damion get caught we’ll wanna be in our rooms, it was nice showing you around” Marcus said as he stepped out into the clear hallways. “Thanks man.. And I’m really sorry all you guys are cooped up in a shitty place like this” he said and Marcus sighed before waving it away “Don’t worry about it kid” he said “We do what we can. But you’ll start testing tomorrow after your consultation, so get ready for the real shit to begin”


	4. Nightmares and the First Morning

_Milo remembered being escorted to his consultation, it felt like he was getting walked to his execution. As he passed down a hall, he heard a loud curse, followed by what he could've only assumed was screaming or crying or both. Damion and Charlie must've been caught by McNeil. Milo gulped as Nurse Johnson led him down the hallway, giving Milo a great view of what was to come later that night "Dr. Mania is waiting. She's just gonna ask you some questions sugar, and then you can be in my care" Johnson purred and Milo was momentarily distracted from his thoughts to respond "Dr. Mania?? And he's working in a mental asylum?? Pretty ironic" he said and Johnson giggled "You're so funny, but yes Miss Mania is quite the expert" she said and Milo nodded absentmindedly "Ah- Miss-" This couldn't be that bad could it??_

_Dr. Mania was sitting in a small room, containing only a desk and two chairs, with a pair of handcuffs on the side across from the Doctor, presumably for whoever was meeting with her, who in this case was Milo. "Hello Doctor" Johnson chirped as she got Milo situated in the chair across from Mania, strapping him into the handcuffs "Nurse Johnson, thank you for escorting our new guest. You may leave" the doctor said curtly and Johnson pursed her lips before winking to Milo and leaving, hips swaying as always._

_Mania crossed her arms and studied Milo as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, shrinking under the Doctor's gaze. Wait- was he actually getting shorter now?? "Milo. Welcome to our facility" Mania said and Milo could've sworn her voice was louder than it was just a moment ago. "We have no last name on record, and no information really about you" Mania continued and Milo looked everywhere else except her eyes, which seemed to be piercing his soul. "No diagnosis, except for delusions, so nothing really to go off of. Can you tell me anything else?? It is for your good" the doctor instructed and Milo gulped. Why was he suddenly so damn nervous?? He didn't remember being this nervous for the consultation_

_"You've been seeing things" Mania said and Milo bit his lip. Something was wrong, this wasn't what had actually happened. "You're a freak, a psycho" Mania said and suddenly she was towering over him. Fuck what was happening?! "You're doomed to become a monster, just like the rest of those vile things in these walls, just like the ones that came before them. All broken souls. But don't worry... I can fix you" Mania said, her voice harsh and cold as Milo tried to break free from the cuffs. "Ah ah ah... you're not going anywhere" Mania said and suddenly corpse-like creatures appeared from all angles of the room, and somehow Milo understood these to be other patients from the facility. Some he could recognize, as one little corpse had broken Angel wings, and another appeared just as affable as Marcus, but many others he didn't know_

_"Come join us" The corpses moaned and Milo tried even harder to break free, his voice suddenly gone, stuck in his throat. He tried to cry out but the hellish visions advanced and surrounded him, hands clawing at flesh and clothes until Milo noticed his own skin begin to rot. He was becoming one of them. Milo beat against the creatures as best he could but was sure to lose when all of a sudden a hand shot out between the mass of dead flesh. A real hand. It grabbed onto Milo and pulled him free. But where had the handcuffs gone?? Milo paused to catch his breath before his savior tugged hard on his hand and began to run "C'mon Newbie, if you don't wanna be wrecked for days you'll get the hell outta here with me"_

_Milo ran after the person, only to discover it to be Charlie who he'd briefly seen before. But shouldn't they be with Damien in ECT?? What the hell was even happening anymore?? "You're dreaming right now" Charlie said, almost as if they could read his mind "Those corpses?? It's like a.. I'm not sure yet, but it's bad. Normally puts me in an attack so I keep my distance" Charlie explained as they led Milo away "What the hell?? So this is in my mind?? But how come-" Milo started to say before Charlie covered his mouth "Shut up and let me explain k??" They said_ _"I don't know how this is even happening but I think it's got something to do with whatever shit they give me. Did Mania give you any pills?? Little gray ones with the blue stripe" Charlie asked and Milo nodded "Then it's gotta be that. I knew it. Look. I'm just as confused as you are but ya gotta trust me k newbie?? I'm trying to sort it all out, but my brain is way too far gone. That's why we gotta work together. Got it??” Charlie said and Milo nodded again. Charlie seemed like someone Milo would want on his side, and besides, he needed someone with as much information about this place if he was gonna survive_

_"No we can not have mental sex. At least I don't think so. You're the first person I've ever seen here. But that don't matter cause I ain't doin' it with a fuck-boy like you" Charlie said and Milo was tempted to bit their hand "I never said anything about that!!" Milo protested and Charlie smirked "Nah but your mind did, plus I can still see your memories from Nurse Tits and yeah, I call her that too'' they said and Milo rolled his eyes "Oh whatever, so what the hell do we do now??" He asked and Charlie shrugged "Unless you can wake yourself up, we just gotta survive until 8 am when the nurses wake us up" they said and Milo sighed. It was gonna be a long ass night_

_After another narrow escape from the.. the whatever they were. Milo decided to try and get some information out of Charlie. "So you said you're the only one here?? When did it happen??" He asked and Charlies shrugged "Hard to keep track of time, but Mania called me in for a 1 on 1 and told me that my treatment was going well, adn to enhance my results she started giving me those pills and bam. Nightmares" Charlies said as they caught their breath, leaning_ _against the wall, their black hair tumbling in front of their eyes before behind brushed behind an ear studded with empty holes that looked to be closing up. "But I haven't done any treatment before, this was my first day" Milo said and Charlie said "Yeah I know, that's what's got me so confused.. she could just be trying it on an un-tested mind, but then again, I just don't understand Mania at all" they said and sighed "I'm trying to work through it all... but I feel like every time I figure something else, it gets thrown out the window.. I've started wondering how much of this is actually real y'know??" Charlie said and looked over at Milo who was honestly a bit lost_

_"Uh- I mean I honestly suck at being a therapist-" Milo said and Charlie snorted "I don't expect you to be one. Normally I'm not the type to open up but I felt like you should know the truth since we're gonna be spending a lot of nights together" they said and Milo smirked "Well if you put it that way" he purred "Maybe we should get to know each other a little more" "Fucking creep" Charlie said and flipped Milo off, causing him to laugh, and eventually Charlie laughed too "Maybe you won't be such a blockhead to be with after all" Charlie said and Milo smirked proudly "Nah. You're still just an idiot fuck-boy" they said and wheezed and Milo's face fell, but he laughed nonetheless_

Milo woke with a start, breathing heavily as his mind raced with the events of last night and with everything that had been crammed into his mind during his time with Charlie. He rubbed his temples before checking the time and groaning when he saw it was only 7:30. Milo remembered he and Charlie had forced themselves awake after nearly getting caught by the corpse thingys and Milo sighed as he flopped back against the bed, trying to make sense of it all. What kind of psychotic joint was Mania running, and what the fuck had he been given last night, and where were his clothes??- Well, he had one of those answers at least

Milo stared up at the ceiling for half an hour, just trying to sort through everyone and everyone he'd met before McNeil walked in and flicked on the lights, causing Milo to groan "Rise and shine sleepyhead!!" he said cheerfully and Milo was tempted to throw a pillow at him "Breakfast is in 20 minutes, don't be late or else you'll go into ECT with one demerit" McNeil chirped before leaving Milo alone. Milo sighed before rubbing his face and getting up, searching around nakedly for something to change into. Milo found a plain t-shirt and pants which he slid on before sighing and running his fingers through his messy hair

As Milo walked his way to the mess hall, he ran though everything he'd learned from the staff and patients during his first day in the facility yesterday. According to Mania, the day was very heavily regulated and kept on a tight schedule since it was easier to manage with the small amount of staff. 8 was wake up, 8:20-9 was breakfast and from there the patients were split. Half went to ECT while the others have free time unless instructed to go to "extra therapies" which according to Marcus was stuff like Conversion therapies. At 12 everyone came back for lunch then at 12:40 the other 3 went to ECT and the first group had "free" time. At 4 everyone went outside while Mania had private office hours. According to Charlie, patients would get called in for 1 on 1's which Charlie said was basically experimental shit. At 5 everyone went on to the showers and at 5:30 was dinner. After dinner patients were sent to their rooms for bed. This was mostly when people snuck out according to Marcus as one of Angel's personalities apparently was like a hacking god

Demerits were counted up at the end of the day, which translated to extra shocks in ECT according to Charlie, which meant that if Milo wanted to stay on the staff's good side then he had to get as little demerits as possible "Your reputation hasn't been tainted, which means the staff'll trust you. We could use that in the long run" Charlie had explained. They'd only really been together for about a night and they were literally running from god knows what the whole time, but already Milo had felt a growing comfort with being around such a strange character

As Milo arrived in the mess hall, he found he wasn't the first person to arrive. Marcus was up and sitting at a table with a tray of... food?? In front of him which he was picking at. Milo looked to the cafeteria and decided to screw the line for now before going to sit with Marcus "Morning man" he said as he slid in next to him and Marcus perked up a bit "Hey kid, good to see you up, how was the rest of your day??" He asked as he eyed a stoic guard in the corner. Milo had seen a couple of them around but as far as he knew, none of the patients were seriously worried about them. It was just when they were all together that they posed a threat

"It was alright I'm starting to get used to.. this.. I guess” Milo said and Marcus chuckled softly "I'm happy to hear that" he said as he stabbed his food "It's not as bad as it looks, Dinner is the best though, sometimes they'll bring in local food cause of “sponsorships”. The facility needs all the friendly faces it can get" he said and Milo nodded "Makes sense, so if I eat this I won't die from E.Coli??" he asked and Marcus laughed "No you won't, they made the food better after someone actually got food poisoning and died a few years ago" he said and Milo froze "Seriously-" he asked and Marcus nodded "Mhm, there's no real medical ward in the facility, and it looks bad for it if they got to a hospital so if you get hurt or sick you're on your own. They blame the deaths from illness or infection on suicide and government officials believe them" he said and sighed "Anything to get people like us away from the public to make their society look better-" he mumbled

Milo's blood boiled and he was VERY tempted to storm into Mania's office and strangle her, but he just huffed angrily and stood up "I'm so sorry to hear that" he said and Marcus waved it away "It's alright, we manage" he said and sighed and Milo balled his fists "I'm gonna go get- food-" he mumbled as he stormed to the line, only to end up running into Damion. "Hey watch where you're going pipsqueak!!" Damion said and gave Milo a little shove before pushing past him and going to the food line. Milo was seriously tempted to curse back at him but one look from Marcus told him that it wasn't gonna be the best idea, so he just huffed and got in line once Damion had gone through

Damion sat at a table alone and Milo went back to Marcus once he had his food when Lilian walked in with little Angel holding her hand. Once she saw Marcus though, she gasped happily and ran to hug him "Morning Daddy!!" she said happily and Marcus chuckled before hugging back "Good Morning-" He started to say before the guard that had been hiding in the shadows interrupted, pulling Angel away from Marcus "Doctor says you two can't be together" he said as he dragged a kicking Angel away. "Let me see my Daddy!!" She screamed and Lilian ducked away, nervously playing with her sleeve as she went to get food

"Doctor's orders and you know that, I'm adding 2 demerits to your record" The guard said and Angel gasped "No no please!! I already have an extra one!!" She cried and Marcus was immediately up "Let her go, she was just saying good morning" Marcus said but the guard turned his attention towards him "Don't think you're getting off so easily either, one demerit for you" he said and Marcus's face fell. Angel was still kicking and screaming when Damion slammed his fist on the table "Every goddamn morning!!" He cursed, causing both Marcus and Lilian to jump, and Lilian nearly dropped her plate "Mr. Williams you're already in deep enough shit as is so you shouldn't be starting anything else!!" The guard yelled

"Whoa whoa whoa, cut the guy some slack, he just wants to eat his slop" A new voice called and all attention turned to Charlie who was being escorted in by McNeil and still in what appeared to be a straitjacket. The guard snickered before shoving Angel into a seat and turning to face them "Looks who's outta solitary confinement" he sneered and Charlie beamed "I am honored you actually kept up with my whereabouts" they said and the guard scowled "I ain't keeping up with shit about you, I can just see you're a bit... tied up at the moment" the guard said and laughed while Charlie rolled their eyes "I don't care if I get any more demerits, Imma punch that idiot in the face" Damion grumbled and Milo did his best not to laugh

McNeil sat Charlie down a few spots down from Milo and began to undo their straitjacket "Now Miss Smith, I'll go get you some food but you've gotta stay right here" he said and Charlie huffed "Whatever, but can you take this thing fully off so I don't have to eat with it?? It's hard enough to do anything but let me eat before going to hell" they said and McNeil gasped "I'm sorry Miss Smith but you know we don't allow cursing, I'm afraid I have to add a demerit" he said and Charlie pursed their lips "Ugh fine, just get me outta this stupid thing" They said and McNeil obliged

The guard was too busy keeping an eye on the rest of the patients who'd all gotten riled up from this morning's events and with McNeil in the line Milo too the chance to slide closer to Charlie "How many demerits are ya at??" he asked and Charlie snickered "Too many to count, Damion and I are still in deep shit from yesterday so there's that" they said and Milo nodded "Hey- about last night-" He started to say but Charlie shushed him. "Quiet- gimme a sec-" They said and fervently looked around the mess hall "Do you see it??" they asked in a hushed whisper and Milo cocked a brow "See what-" he asked and Charlie forced Milo's head to look at Angel

"See Angel's wings?? What color are they??" They asked as Milo focused on the softly glowing wings on the little girl "Green- why-??" He asked and Charlie smirked "Her wings tend to shift colors when a new personality is fronting. Green is Isla's color. She's the good girl of the bunch. Probably fronting to keep Angel in check" Charlie said and sure enough as Milo watched, Angel stopped protesting and just ate quietly "Whoa- how many personalities does she have??" Milo asked and Charlie shrugged. "The most common one's are BB, Ilsa, and Frankie, plus Angel herself but I'm sure there's more" they said before McNeil called out "Ah Milo!! Come to join Miss Smith for breakfast?? How sweet, I'm sure she'd love the company" he said as he plopped a plate of food in front of Charlie who sighed

"Everyone!! You have 30 minutes to eat your delicious breakfast before the Doctor will come and escort those to their treatment!! Charlie, Damion, and Angel will be going first while Nurse Johnson and I take the rest of you to your specialized assigned Therapies and ECT sessions!!" McNeil called and Damion and Charlie groaned. "Good luck man" Milo said and Charlie huffed before chuckling "Oh you shouldn't be wishing me luck, you should be saving it for yourself"


	5. Day 1 of ECT

Milo and Charlie continued their hushed conversation while everyone else silently ate their breakfast, with significantly more guards than there had been originally since Angel's outburst "See Damien??" Charlie asked and Milo turned his attention to the big man sitting alone with a permanent scowl as he ate "See the thing around him??" Charlie asked as Milo focused in on a snake-like shadow encircled around Damien "That appears when Damien's stuck in a bad mood. He doesn't have control over his emotions and actions like the rest of us. But when he's able to fight back a version of Damien appears with this badass sword thingy and fights the danger noodle" they explained and Milo couldn't help but snicker "Danger noodle??" he asked and Charlie playfully hit his arm "Shut up I gotta come up with SOMETHING fun to say instead of 'manifestation of Damien's inner turmoil and disorder'" they said, the last bit in some dramatic voice that made Milo wheeze as he tried not to laugh too loud

"Ok ok enough of the danger noodle, look over at Lili '' Charlie said and Milo turned his attention away from the aforementioned "danger noodle" and looked at Lilian to see her shrouded in a dark cloud. She picked up her fork and appeared to visibly wince and when she did, lightning seemed to strike her chest, right where her heart should've been "Anxiety??" Milo asked and Charlie nodded "Bad case of it" they said and sighed softly "From what I know, Lili also had bad anorexia, that's why she's on such a strict diet but she hates it. Makes her anxiety worse" they said and Milo nodded as he kept watching Lilian try to eat before the cloud seemed to recede a bit and Milo could get a clear view of what looked like lines of dark thorns strewn across her arms.. "Self harm" Charlie said and sighed softly as they caught onto what Milo was looking at "She only did it a couple times she told me, that's why the cloud shrouds it. It's just a part of her anxiety now, a bad memory" they said and Milo nodded slightly before trying to change the subject

"What about Marcus?? He said he thinks he's got PTSD" Milo said and Charlie nodded as they and Milo turned towards Marcus. Similar to Lilian Marcus was surrounded by another dark cloud, though this one was only around his head and there was no lightning strikes. "When lightning strikes that's when you know he's having an attack" Charlie explained and Milo nodded in understanding as his attention was drawn to Marcus's heart which was glowing a soft, broken rainbow color "Gay??" Milo asked and pointed and Charlie nodded "Yep, you're getting good at this" they said and snickered and Milo scoffed "I'm a natural at everything" he said and Charlie rolled their eyes "Oh whatever, that was an easy one anyways, I'm sure Marcus mentioned his husband before. But my turn now" they said and gestured to themselves "What do you see"

Milo looked at Charlie and tried to focus on what he saw, but it was too much for him to handle and he had to look away "Milo??" Charlie asked and Milo closed his eyes to try and recuperate "That was- wow-" he muttered and tried looking at Charlie again, only to find what he'd seen a moment ago was gone "What the-" he muttered and Charlie raised an eyebrow "Milo what happened??" they asked and Milo waved it away "I didn't see anything" he lied and Charlie surprsignly fell for it. "Alright, maybe we can't see each other's cause we're both on whatever shit Mania's given us" they said and sighed before picking at their food "Mhm that's probably it" Milo said as he looked back at his uneaten plate. Charlie's arms... he saw flowering vines but why was it such a beautiful sight when the rest of what he saw of them was utter chaos?? Besides they should've looked like Lilian's dark brambles but instead...

"Times up everybody!! Angel, Damion, Charlie, could you all come with Nurse Johnson please??" McNeil called and Charlie sighed before getting up "See ya at lunch" they mumbled before they joined Angel, or rather Isla, and Damion over by Miss Tits. "The rest of you please come with me and I will escort you all to your personalized treatments!!" McNeil said happily and Milo sighed before getting up, longingly looking back towards Charlie who was being marched of to whatever experiment Mania had in store for them. Why was Milo so obsessed with some loony he'd just met?? Charlie was just using him for their weird shared ability but yet... Milo had seen through the chaos and got a glimpse of the hidden beauties. What did it all mean??

“You ok kid??” Marcus asked, pulling Milo from his thoughts. “Huh?? Oh, I’m fine, just the food. Guess it’s the E.Coli” he said and Marcus laughed before patting Milo’s back “First day of treatments, we get the later shift, you nervous??” he asked and Milo scoffed even though his heart was already racing at the mere mention of the "treatments". "Nah it can't be too bad, plus it's just my first day" Milo said and Marcus chuckled before shaking his head and sighing "Oh you poor boy-" he muttered before going silent and focusing on their walk, leaving Milo's heart beating out of his chest from fear. Sure he'd lived on the streets in one of the most dangerous streets in America, and he'd survived that first night. But this was something else entirely different. Something he knew got people killed, people like him

"Marcus this is your room" McNeil chirped and Marcus sighed before going to the door and turning back to Milo and Lilian "See you two at lunch" he said before looking at Milo and nodding to Lilian with a look that screamed "Take care of her". Milo nodded slightly before Marcus slipped inside the room and he was left alone with just Lilian and stupid McNeil. "Ah Miss Holly!! You're in for such a treat today, you'll be going to ECT with our new friend Milo!!" he said and Lilian wrapped her arms around herself before looking at Milo. Milo flashed a small smile that seemed to relax Lilian before McNeil lead them all to the ECT room "I'll be running today's therapy, so you two just sit down at the table and relax" he explained while Milo looked at the table

It was similar to the one he'd been at with his consultation with Mania (the real one, not the twisted nightmare one) as it had just a few chairs, with all of them but one paired with a set of handcuffs. Milo sat down in one while his eyes danced across the room at the various different machines. "Now Milo, I'm sure you've heard the term ECT before right??" McNeil asked as he led Lilian to a seat and sat her down, cuffing the poor trembling girl to the table. "Yeah I have- isn't it like shocks??" Milo asked and McNeil cuffed him down "Normally yes, but our wonderful boss has devised a new system that aren't intended for the brain here and goes off of cognitive behavior therapy principles" he explained as Lilian's trembling was nearly shaking the table

"So what is this??" Milo asked and McNeil chuckled as he went over to one of the machines and grabbed what appeared to be small electrodes "Think muscle stimulators" he said and Lilian shook her head while McNeil's back was turned "Think mini electric chair-" she muttered and Milo gulped "That's just the half of it-" Lilian whispered shakily as McNeil returned and placed the electrodes on Lilian's skin. "Now, ECT is just the term we like to use but really Mania calls this fun little machine the GED" he explained while Lilian tried to flinch away from the electrodes. "This treatment is just a small snip-it of the real fun, and is focused more around the ABA protocols" McNeil explained while he grabbed Lilian's arm and forced her to stay still "Miss Holly you must remain still" McNeil said while Lilian continued trying to break free

"Lili. Listen to him" Milo said and Lilian looked at him with wide eyes "Do you know what they do to us?!" She asked shrilly and Milo bit the inside of his cheek "I've heard- but if you keep struggling it'll only get worse" Milo muttered as Lilian's eyes prickled with tears. "See Miss Holly, our new friend is right" McNeil said as Lilian stopped fighting and let McNeil apply the electrodes "I'm afraid I have to add a demerit for your struggling, this is the 4th time I've had to do this, be grateful I'm not doubling your amount" McNeil said as he went back to the machine and returned with more electrodes for Milo who took them without any resistance. McNeil then returned to another machine and came back with more electrodes which Milo saw was attached to what appeared to be some sort of lie detector machine. Oh goodie-

Once both were hooked up to both machines Milo remained still as he looked across at Lilian who was shaking with quiet sobs. "Miss Holly why don't we go first to show Milo what this is really about" McNeil called and Lilian shook her head furiously "Wonderful!! Now Miss Holly" McNeil began as he booted up the machine "You know how this works, all you have to do is just answer my questions without exhibiting any negative behaviors alright??" McNeil said but Lilian was back to trying to break free "Let me out!! Please!!" she begged and Milo watched in horror as McNeil clicked his tongue and pressed a button, sending a small shock to Lilian who cried out in pain

"Miss Holly you know struggling only results in more demerits" McNeil said as he administered another shock and Lilian cried out again. "Those are your 2 demerits. Now let's try again. Miss Holly do you know how this works??" McNeil asked and Lilian nodded furiously before choking out a "Yes" between her sobs. Milo wanted nothing more than to take Marcus's word and reach across to comfort the poor young women, but the cuffs wouldn't allow him to do so. "Now we're on to something" McNeil said and chuckled as he led Lilian through her round of "therapy". After about an hour or so of torture, with Milo forced to watch lest he wanted to get shocked himself, Lilian was done and it was Milo's turn. She was slumped back in her chair and crying, and Milo could almost see the burns where the electrodes had been placed, but he could definitely smell them

"Milo your turn. Now you don't have any demerits so we can go straight into our round of therapy, ready??" McNeil asked and Milo nodded before taking a shuddering breath "Have you ever self harmed??" McNeil asked and Milo shook his head and the detector apparently confirmed his reply. "Wonderful, Miss Holly you should be making an example of Milo here" McNeil said but Lilian didn't respond "Have you ever done any sort of drugs Milo??" McNeil asked and Milo braced himself for the shock he knew would be coming "Yes-" he muttered and McNeil sighed before shaking his head "I'm sorry but we just can't allow that here" he said and pressed the button, sending Milo's first shock to the electrodes. It felt like as if he'd been touched with an electric fly swatter and even though he knew the shock was coming, he still cried out from the sudden pain of it

"Have you ever consumed any alcoholic beverages??" McNeil asked and Milo gritted his teeth and nodded, crying out at the next shock that came. The ECT continued for an hour or more, just like Lilian's had and by the end of it Milo understood why these treatments were so hated by everyone. His chest hurt from gasping for air and choking on sobs and his face was soaked with tears. It hurt to move wherever the electrodes had rested and he was still shaking from the electricity that had been coursing through him. "That's all for right now. I hope you understand what your stay will be like here Milo'' McNeil said as he undid all of the machinery from Milo and Lilian. Lilian had mostly recovered, but there were still obvious patches of burns on her skin and she was a bit more sure footed than Milo who had trouble standing. McNeil helped the two up, not being mindful of their burns as he nearly dragged them to the mess hall. "Nurse Johnson will be bringing Mister Young to the ECT room and the good Doctor will be bringing everyone else back from their treatments once he is finished. In the meantime enjoy your specially long lunch!!" McNeil called before Milo slumped over and passed out on the table


	6. Starlit Evenings

Milo awoke sometime later in the day in his own room to someone poking his cheek "What the fuck-" he groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes before opening them to see Charlie sitting next to him "Oh thank god you're up. I didn't think you'd die on the first day but I was starting to have my doubts" they said and Milo groaned again before laying back down on the bed "What the hell was that.." he asked and Charlie raised an eyebrow "ECT?? Yeah it's the real kicker. We go under for Mania's shitshow so none of us actually knows what goes on in there. All we know is that we feel like hell when we wake up and about half of the time go into some sort of mental attack. But it's the ECT that can physically wreck you if you aren't careful" they said and Milo sighed before trying to turn over, only to wince and sit up to lift his shirt up and look at the marks from the electrodes 

"Ouch" Charlie said and snickered before poking one of the marks, causing Milo to cry out "Yo what the hell man?!" Milo asked and Charlie laughed "Couldn't help myself, I do it all the time" they said and Milo scowled "But why do it to me?!" he asked and Charlie shrugged "Call it an experiment" they said and Milo huffed before dropping his shirt back to normal "Uh huh sure, then explain to me what it was fucking for" Milo said and Charlie shrugged again "Mind your own business, it's my personal research" they said and Milo huffed before checking the time "Goddamn it's 7, isn't it patients up time??" he asked and Charlie nodded "Yep, but of course we've got our ways to sneak around" they said and snickered "Besides, I had to come see if our new friend was gonna pussy out or no" they added and Milo rolled his eyes

"You're way more bitchy than I remember you being" He muttered and Charlie laughed before sighing "Well a day of controlled shocking and experimentation will do that to ya" They said and Milo softened up a little bit. He'd actually ended up being lucky by passing out for the majority of the day and had missed whatever awaited him during the mysterious "treatment" times while everyone else had been forced to go through with it, electricity burns and all. Maybe he should just pass out everyday- "So who's distracting the crew today??" Milo asked and Charlie smirked "Mania's in her office and word got out of a party in some bar which takes care of most of the guards and Miss Tits. McNeil passes out at around this time so we don't have to worry about him at all in the evening" they said and Milo sighed with relief

"How's everyone else doing??" He asked and Charlie shrugged "Angel helped bust me outta solitary confinement but afterwards she bolted off, probably to go see Marcus" she said "Lilian's moping in her room as is Damion. I know they don't like each other but they've got quite a bit in common" They said and chuckled softly while Milo nodded along to their words "Sounds like all is well" he said and Charlie chuckled "Yep, you feel like getting up and taking a walk around?? It would be nice during this time" they said and Milo shrugged before wincing slightly as he slid out of bed "Hopefully I won't just keel over in the halls but sure" he said and Charlie laughed before getting up "Sounds good to me and hey if you do fall over just don't fall on me. I can't carry your fat ass" they said and laughed while Milo smirked "Ohh so I've got a fat ass huh??" he asked as he smacked his ass and Charlie wheezed "Not like that ya prick" they said before catching their breath and Milo chuckled "I know I know, I just had to" he said before going into the halls with Charlie

The two walked around the facility for about an hour, chatting and joking with each other before Charlie stopped at a window and smiled to their self. Milo stopped next to Charlie and peered out the window and into the inky dark blue sky "Come on, I've gotta show you something" Charlie said as they grabbed Milo's hand and lead them down a hallway to a set of double doors that Milo had never seen "Where's this lead to??" he asked as Charlie pushed open the doors "You'll see, just come on!!" They called as they climbed the stairs with Milo not too far behind them. Charlie waited for him at the top before pushing open another set of double doors, this one with a sign reading "Roof Access" next to it

Milo raised an eyebrow as he followed Charlie onto the roof as they went and sat near the edge "You're not gonna push me off are you??" he asked and Charlie laughed "Nah man, besides a fall from this height wouldn't kill ya" they called as Milo went and sat next to them "How do you know??" he asked but by the way Charlie seemed to shrink into their self he decided to switch topics as he'd gotten his answer. "So why did you bring me up here??" he asked before Charlie laid back on the roof and pulled Milo down with him "Look up" they instructed and Milo did as told, gasping as he say the sky painted with beautiful stars, like the whole milky way was just right there for the taking

"Whoa... you don't see anything like this in the big cities” He said and Charlie chuckled before sighing contently "It's beautiful isn't it?? When I was little we used to go to my Grandpa's farm, and every night he and I would climb onto the roof of the big house and look up at the stars, try and find the constellations and tell stories about them. Made a new one up each night" they said and chuckled softly before smiling fondly up at the sky and Milo could tell this meant a lot to them. "What happened to that??" he asked and Charlie's smile disappeared as they sighed "When my Grandma died my Grandpa stopped taking me up there. He remarried a total bitch and sold the farm to move into Montgomery. We stopped seeing him as much.." they said and Milo cursed himself for asking. "It must've meant a lot to you.." he said and Charlie nodded before going silent and looking up at the night sky again

"Y'know.." Milo said to try and lighten the mood "I never had anyone to teach me about the stars and the constellations" he said and Charlie turned their head to look at him "Why not??" they asked and Milo shrugged "Just didn't have anyone really, let alone a clear enough sky" he said and Charlie nodded in understanding "Well I guess I could teach ya. It's been awhile since I'd last done this but I think I remember enough" they said and Milo smiled "That'd be amazing" he said and Charlie smiled a bit before the two looked up at the stars together and Charlie began their mini lesson

Neither knew how much time had passed, but the bright headlights of an approaching car scared them back inside where they were forced to split ways so they could return to their rooms before Miss Tits checked on the patients. "Hey Charlie!!" Milo called as Charlie was about to turn a corner but stopped to look at him "We should do that more often" he said and Charlie smiled before slipping down the hall, leaving Milo alone in the doorway of his room. Milo sighed softly to himself before slipping into his room and crawling back on the bed as his mind was full of the pleasant memories he'd just made on the roof with Charlie and the stars. As terrifying as he knew his dreams would be, at least he had Charlie there with him. Maybe they could find a way to break away from the corpses and back onto the roof to continue their lesson


	7. Day 1 of Mania's treatment

Milo was pleased to find that his nightmarish adventure with Charlie wasn't as bad as his first night in the facility had been, but he had a feeling this day would be worse, though he was gonna do his best to not be down about it. When McNeil came to wake him up Milo was already up and dressed and went into the mess hall with his head high, that is until he saw Damion sitting silently in his normal back corner. Milo rubbed his eyes to see if his mind was just playing tricks on him (which he honestly should stop worrying about so much) or if there were actually two Damions. He remembered Charlie's teachings from yesterdays's breakfast and realized that Damion must've been trying to control himself. Probably an after effect of being shocked back to reality. Milo decided to try his luck and slid into the seat next to the big man

"Damion right??" Milo asked and Damion nodded. Well he wasn't getting yelled at or threatened so that was a good start. "You feeling ok man??" Milo asked and Damion just nodded again. He must've been trying really hard not to lash out. After his time on the streets, Milo had learned either to avoid the dangerous people or appease them so they won't kill you, so he decided to try that latter option with Damion. "Can I get you anything?? I don't mind going to get you food or something" Milo asked and Damion nodded again before finally speaking "Thanks man.." he said and Milo managed a soft smile. Now he was getting somewhere and he could see the dark mass around Damion slowly receding

"Hey uh.. was I supper pissy yesterday?? Be honest" Damion said and Milo bit his lip before nodding "Just a little bit" he said and Damion sighed before putting his head on the table "Sorry- I'm not normally that way, guess I was just so uptight yesterday, it happens a lot, don't take it personally" he said and Milo waved it away "Oh no worries, I'm sure a lot of people get like that" he said, trying to cheer Damion up. "Uh- I never really caught your name, something with an M right??" Damion asked and Milo nodded "Milo, pleasure to meet ya" he said cheekily and Damion chuckled a bit "Damion Williams, though I'm sure you already knew" he said and Milo shrugged "Word travels fast I guess" he said and Damion nodded before his attention turned to 2 more patients walking into the mess hall 

"I'm telling you Lili, you've got to be getting more sleep and making a real effort to eat without immediately burning it off, it'll do you some real good" Marcus said to Lilian who was hugging herself as she so often did. "I know I know... I'm really trying but it's so hard.." Lilian said softly and Damion sighed "You know Lilian??" He asked Milo who nodded "Shy girl.. been through hell and I don't think I've helped much... but she's a sweet girl" He said and Milo raised an eyebrow as he watched a softly glowing heart form in Damion's chest before a small ribbon-like section reached out towards Lilian. Did.. did Damion like her?? Milo snickered to himself before deciding to probe Damion for more information. "Sweet huh??" Milo asked and Damion nodded

"Aren't too many girls like her out there" Damion said "Just wish she'd actually talk to me.." he said and sighed and Milo questioned why "Well I've been a real dick to her accidentally, but I'm a cool guy right??" he asked and looked at Milo who nodded "She's a timid gal, maybe you should be the one to approach her" Milo suggested and Damion pursed his lips "Me?? Why me when she's more than capable of coming to me" he said and Milo chuckled slightly "Ah man... you ever flirted with a girl before??" he asked and Damion nodded "Yeah tons, they normally come crawling to me after just a day" he said and Milo tried not to laugh

"I see your problem. You said it yourself, Lili isn't like many girls out there, which means you gotta approach her in a different way" Milo said and Damion cocked his head to the side "You really think it could work??" he asked and Milo nodded "Give it some time yeah, and hey if you want, I could be your wing-man. Marcus too would love to help I'm sure" he said and chuckled as Damion cracked a slight smile "You'd do that for me??" he asked and Milo patted his shoulder "I don't see why not, not like we've got anything better to do while rotting in here" he said and Damion chuckled 

"What're you two gals whispering and giggling about back here??" Charlie asked as they weaved their way through the tables, thankfully not stuck in their straitjacket "Sup Charles" Milo said and Charlie rolled their eyes "Where'd the new nickname come from??" they asked as they slid into a seat by Milo who shrugged "Just that kind day" he said and Charlie snickered "Oh is that so??" they asked and Milo nodded "Damion here says he needs a wing-man to help impress Lili" he said and nudged Damion with his elbow who's eyes narrowed "I don't NEED a wing-man, you offered to help!!" He said and Charlie laughed, a sound that made Milo's heart flutter "Aww does D have a little crush??" they teased and Damion put his head on the table "It's not a crush-" he muttered and Charlie snickered

"You three in the back corner, what're you colluding about??" A guard asked and Charlie flipped him off. They must've been in a good mood too to be challenging a guard like that "Piss off mate, we're just talking" they said and Milo and Damion both snickered. "I'm reporting you three to the boss and adding 2 demerits, that outta shut you up" the guard said and sneered as the 3 people in the back corner groaned. "New record??" Damion asked and Charlie nodded "Yep- only a minute in the mess and we've already got ourselves some extra hell scheduled" they said and sighed

Even with their demerits, the 3 still chatted like normal people for once and actually ate their slop for breakfast as Angel was the last to be filed in. Not too long later McNeil announced the groupings for today and Milo was shocked to find he'd be going to see Mania first with Charlie and Lilian. Must've been to make up for missing it yesterday. "Looks like your stuck with me" Charlie said and playfully hit Milo's arms who chuckled "Strapped down and experimented on together, bestie goals" he said while mocking whatever he thought a spoiler rich teen sounded like and Charlie nearly spit out their last spoonful of slop "Man you're gonna make me choke!!" They wheezed and Damion and Milo both laughed as Charlie recovered. Milo felt good to be joking with people for once, and it definitely released some of the tension in the room as he saw Marcus, Lilian, and Angel all relax just a little bit. Maybe they should do something like this more often in the mornings, even if it would cost them a demerit. Milo had just met these people, but he'd surprisingly always been thr type to do anything to get someone to smile. And he's go through hell to hear Charlie laugh like that all the time

Miss Tits came to collect Milo's group as Charlie and Milo waved goodbye to Damion with a promise to try and talk to Lilian. McNeil escorted everyone else to their assigned therapies as Miss Tits led them down the hall and into the main room which Milo had never seen before. Charlie took their short walk as a chance to start planting the idea of Damion being not so bad into Lilian's head as Milo just took in their surroundings to try and piece together a map of the facility in his mind. He didn't like being unfamiliar with the terrain and besides, an opportunity for escape might present itself some day

Miss Tits knocked on the door before leaving after blowing a kiss to Milo. He could've sworn he saw Charlie roll their eyes and he prayed he wasn't just seeing things again. Doctor Mania opened the door a few moments later and ushered the 3 of them inside "Ah Mister Milo, wonderful to see you're doing better today" She said and Milo nodded "Guess I just needed some time to get used to all of this" he said and Mania hummed to herself before going to a large machine like the one that had been in the ECT room. Milo could tell Lilian was getting scared again but couldn't help but smile slightly as he saw Charlie reach for her hand to try and calm her down. Milo turned his attention back to the room and saw 3 hospital style beds with matching straps like the one Milo had in his room, presumably to keep whoever was on the bed down and still

"On the beds please" Mania ordered and Charlie let go of Lilian's hand to climb onto the bed in the middle. Milo took the one on the right and the two of them watched as Lilian shakily climbed into the one on the left. "Good good" Mania muttered as she went down the line, strapping the 3 onto the beds. Mania then went around and attached electrodes to the three which she then hooked up to different monitors, but Milo couldn't help but flinch as if they were live with electricity. Mania went back to her large machine before making one final round and putting a mask on the three. "This will knock you out don't worry" Mania said as she flipped a switch and Milo suddenly felt light headed and woozy. He vaguely heard Mania counting down from some number before he was completely knocked out

_"Milo... Milo?!" Milo jolted awake and found himself laying down in an alleyway back in Detroit. What was he doing back here?? "Milo, where are you?!" he heard a woman calling as he looked around for the source of the voice. It seemed oddly familiar to him, but he just couldn't place it "Milo!!" the women called again more frantically before he heard a car pull up and the familiar sound of police sirens "Over here!!" he heard a deep male voice call before Milo caught sight of the women who'd been calling his name "Hello?? Who are you??" he called but the women ignored him and started running away from the Police. "Wait where are you going?!" Milo called as he ran after the women through the alleyways_

_"Milo!! Please where did you go?!" The women called as she looked around frantically. Milo followed after the women and tried calling out to her again but it was of no use, she just couldn't see or hear him. Why was he even here, what was he seeing?? And why did this lady know him?? The lady continued running before being grabbed by a man in shadow who Milo assumed was a Police officer "Who're you screaming for, some sorta back up??" The man spat as the women tried to break free "Milo!! Milo if you can hear me run!! Milo I love you" the woman cried before she was hit on the back of the head and fell limp to the ground. I love you?? Who was this woman..._

Milo awoke sometime later still strapped to the bed he'd passed out in and with a skull splitting headache. "Goddamn-" he groaned as he tried to sit up before his vision swam and he flopped back down again "Ah you're the first awake" Mania called as she went and stood with her hands behind her back next to Milo's bed "How was it??" She asked and Milo just groaned in response "Wonderful wonderful, did you see anything??" she asked and Milo rubbed his head "Some lady running from the cops.. I think she was calling out to me..??" Milo said as Mania nodded and quickly scribbled something down "Excellent Excellent. I will be bringing you this afternoon for a one on one, rest up, you have lunch and ECT next" Mania instructed as Milo closed his eyes and drifted back into sleep


	8. Weeks later

Eventually Milo lost track of how long he'd been at the asylum, but it felt like an eternity. Things only grew more and more confusing, especially as Milo could tell his grip on reality was beginning to slip and he felt like he'd seen it all. He'd seen Charlie experience a full blown Schizo attack a few times, which basically fucked up both Damion and Lilian after Milo and Charlie had worked so hard to bring them together. Milo himself even got to experience a Schizo attack for himself and he 10/10 would never recommend as it left him debilitated for almost a whole week, stuck in his room facing hellish hallucinations and stuck in a straitjacket. Charlie was stuck forever in the solitary condiment room with no hope of ever returning to their original room as there was a... well there was a bit of an incident with a knife they'd stolen from the mess hall. Milo's arrival had brought a moment of hope to the inhabitants of the Highland Eternal Garden Mental Asylum, but once all the buzz died down, everyone was back in their deep pits of despair, and it wasn't until Milo recovered from his Schizo attack when things began to change for the better again

It was a new moon that night, just like when Charlie had taken Milo up to roof for stargazing, and since then Milo had been craving to return to the galaxy painted on the sky, and what better night to do it than when the moon's light wasn't there to distort the sky. "Charlie" Milo whispered as he knocked on the door to the solitary confinement room before sliding open the little slit used to pass food and evening medications in. "Charlie" Milo called again before he heard a soft groan and could tell something was shifting around "Milo..??" Charlie called out sleepily as Milo looked for a way to pick the lock on the door, a skill he'd been able to pick up from BB, the mastermind out of Angel's personalities "Yeah it's me, come on, let's go back to the roof" Milo said but was met with silence. "Charlie??" Milo called again, growing a bit worried for his friend "Milo I can't.." Charlie said which made Milo pause "Course you can, come on it'll do good for you" Milo said but Charlie snapped back "No Milo, I can't. I'm already in deep enough shit as is, what's the point of all this anyways if we're just gonna get shocked into tomorrow in the morning" They said and Milo sighed softly

"Charlie... come on man, I learned everything about this place from you, and the one thing you've always shown me, is that those punishments don't matter. Mania, McNiel, Miss Tits, they're all just shitheads and that's that, there's nothing we can do about it, so why not have fun while we can" Milo said and Charlie was silent. "Look... when I came here I was just as hopeless as you are now, but remember that morning in the mess hall with Damion?? How much fun we had laughing and joking about?? It showed me that these people, us, we're all still human, no matter what Mania's put into our heads. And I've seen how much you mean to everyone else, how much hope you bring to them" Milo said as he crouched down to better peer through the open slit to see Charlie curled up in the opposite corner, straitjacket and all. "Everyone looks up to you Charlie" Milo said "You're so creative, and smart, and an absolute mastermind. We need you.. and I can't believe I'm saying this... but I need you. So come on, please"

After an excruciating moment of silence Charlie shifted a bit and began to make their way over to the open slit. "Help me get this damn thing off" they muttered and Milo sighed with relief before beaming and reaching through the slit to help undo Charlie's straitjacket. Afterwards, they instructed Milo on how to unlock the door and soon enough the two were free and sneaking through the asylum to the roof access hall. Once the two were on the roof they made their way to the edge and laid down side by side, staring up at the beautiful starry night sky. Milo was too busy remembering all the constellations Charlie had taught him to notice that they were still off, but eventually he looked over to see Charlie looking at him, hands folded on their stomach "Did you mean all of those things??" they asked and it took Milo a moment to think about what they meant

"Course I did" Milo said "I meant every word down there" he added and Charlie turned their head to look away "No one's really ever said anything like that to me.." They said softly and Milo pursed his lips "Well they should, you're the coolest person I've ever met, and I've seen some badasses on the street" he said and chuckled softly as Charlie turned to face him with a slight smile "You ain't so bad yourself Milo" they said and Milo smirked "Well I already knew that" he said and Charlie rolled their eyes as Milo snickered. "I'm sorry if I've been ruining things lately.. it's hard to stay positive and such when this is your life" Charlie said and sighed as Milo grew serious again. "There's no need to be so hard on yourself. You've been helping everyone for as long as you've been here I heard, if anything it's only fair for us to repay the favor" he said and Charlie pursed their lips

"Not gonna lie, I kinda liked the dumbass version of you better than this sappy shit" They said and Milo laughed "Thank go, being sentimental is hard" he said and Charlie laughed as well, which made Milo smile with relief. It was nice to know that he was making Charlie feel better. Charlie turned back to look up at the sky but Milo stayed looking at Charlie, tracing every feature of their body with his eyes. It was hard to see much with just the light of the stars, but Milo had basically memorized most of Charlie's features from the messy crop of short, straight black hair to the dots of freckles that peppered their skin in random places. He missed seeing Charlie all spunk the past few weeks, but he hoped that that side of Charlie would quickly return

As he was lost in his thoughts he didn't realize that Charlie was looking right at him, and soon they were sharing eye contact, Charlie's sea foam green eyes perfectly reflecting the galaxy above them. Milo's breath caught in his throat and he tried to apologize, but he stumbled over his words, causing Charlie to snicker softly before lightly biting their lip. "I can only read your thoughts when we're dreaming.. but that's enough" they said as Milo tried to remain smooth, only for his cheeks to turn bright red. "Why me??" They asked softly but Milo was still struggling with speaking, though he did his best to communicate his feelings "Th-there you... somethingabout.. fuck-" Milo stammered before taking a deep breath and trying to sort through his scrambled thoughts and get them out "There's something about you..." He began as Charlie listened intently. "Something.. you- I- I and you- I- god- d-damn.." Milo normally was the king of smooth talking, but there was something about Charlie (and possibly his symptoms acting up) that made it impossible to get his feelings out, but for Charlie, they'd already heard enough

Charlie leaned over and closed the distance between the two of them to place a soft kiss on Milo's lips. "Y'know.. actions speak louder than words right??" they whispered, only an inch away from Milo's face. Milo's whole face turned beat red, and he stayed frozen in place, just staring at Charlie who he could tell was beginning to panic. "I-I- s-sorry I didn't-" they began but this time it was Milo's turn to plant a soft kiss on their lips "You're right.." he said softly as he finally managed to find the calm in his storming brain "Actions do speak louder.." The two completely closed the distance between one another, lips moving in a gentle dance and arms finding their way around each other. Neither would admit craving for each other as badly as they had been for weeks, but it was there for both. If anything, it grew stronger in those moments on the rooftop under the blanket of stars

Milo and Charlie found themselves sitting up together, with Charlie in Milo's lap, legs wrapped around his waist as if the position were completely natural for them. Charlie let their hands rest on Milo's chest before sliding up to wrap their arms around his neck. Milo went to place his hands on their waist but hesitated as he knew of Charlie's struggle with their body. He pulled away and looked at Charlie in his lap, blush with matching red cheeks as Charlie looked down at Milo's hands hovering in the air by their waist "Go ahead..." They said softly "I'll learn to manage.." "I don't want to make you uncomfortable" Milo said as Charlie brushed his unruly hair out of his face "I can't be uncomfortable with you... just.. be gentle" They whispered against Milo's lips, which sparked a feeling deep within the pit of his stomach

Milo took hold of Charlie's waist gently and the two resumed their shared kiss for several passionate moments before Charlie broke the kiss with a soft gasp before biting their lip and looking down at Milo who immediately knew the reason for the sudden pause. "I-I've never.." thy stammered before looking away as Milo cupped their face gently "Ignore that, we don't have to. Just- a bad habit I picked up from the streets" he said calmly as Charlie looked back at him "N-No.. I-I want to..please just.. l-let me keep my clothes on..I" they said and Milo nodded in understanding as Charlie slid off of Milo's lap and retreated back towards the roof access entry. "Just inside" Milo said, "it'll still be warm and no one will be able to see or hear us unless they open the door" he added as he took Charlie's hand and gently brushed his thumb over their knuckles. He could tell they were tense and a little worried, but they'd agreed to do it so they must've wanted it

It was slow going and gentle, but with an underlying heat of passion. The whole endeavor wasn't exactly long, as Charlie was much too sensitive to every little touch, but it was enough to satisfy them both. After spending a few moments in each other's arms Milo helped Charlie down the stairs and back to their room where he helped them strip on the straitjacket after sharing a quick kiss goodbye in the hallway. "Thank you for tonight..I need it" Charlie said softly as the two sat opposite of the small slit in the door and Milo nodded "Of course.. anything for you" he said as he reached through the slit to cup Charlie's face, who happily nuzzled against his hand "I'll be seeing you shortly" he added and chuckled as Charlie smiled and scooted backwards, away from the slit "See ya soon Milo"


	9. A Meeting with Mania Pt 1

That night in their dream time, Milo and Charlie swore not to make their relationship public to the staff, and also set some guidelines that would help them when they were together in public. There was to be absolutely no kissing if there were staff around, which was the hardest rule for them to set but it had to be done. Secondly, they'd meet most nights to go to the roof, but would only turn intimate if they were sure they wouldn't be found, and of course with each other's consent. Milo even found where to find extra blankets that they could take for some privacy, and so the next morning when he awoke he hightailed it to the secret supply closet and grabbed a blanket to take back to his room for that night. He was in the best mood he had been since.. well since forever, and when he arrived to the mess hall it was quite obvious that something good was going for him

Milo looked around the mess hall to see who was there, and spotted Lilian with her head down on the table, and a guard unusually close by. Milo sauntered over and slid into the seat next to Lilian, asking what was wrong. "oh- it's nothing.." Lilian said softly, but she wasn't a very good liar, and besides, he could see that something was off, not by her physical appearance, but the one given to him by whatever the hell Mania gave him and Charlie. "What is it Lili, come on you can trust me" Milo said comfortingly as Lilian sighed and cast a glance at the oddly close guard "It's him- he's always so- gross.. around me" she whispered and shuddered "He's the same around Angel and Charlie but they can stand up for themselves.. and it doesn't help that this stupid shirt is so tight-" Lilian continued as Milo pursed his lips before looking down at his own shirt "I'll switch with you" he said and Lilian gave him a confused look "Come on, I'll wear your shirt and you can wear mine, it'll be big on you and hopefully that asshat will leave you alone for today. Hell you can borrow my shirts whenever you want, there's really no difference other than the size"

"You'd.. you'd really do this for me??" Lilian asked and Milo nodded "Of course, now come on, we gotta find a bathroom or something before anymore staff shows up" Milo said as he got up with Lilian. "Where do you two think you're going?? Don't think I didn't see you whispering to each other" the guard said as Milo sighed to himself before turning to the guard, putting himself in front of Lilian as he did "We're going to take a shit man" Milo said bluntly "If you'd rather us shit all over you then you'll kindly let us go" he added and the guard grumbled before letting them go. "You're in an awfully good mood" Lilian said softly as they walked down the hall to the two bathrooms "Eh, when you're not hallucinating and tearing your own hair out you tend to be pretty chill" he said and Lilian looked down "Sorry if that made you uncomfortable-" Milo said sheepishly and Lilian shook her head "It's alright.. but hearing what you and Charlie go through... it makes me feel like my issues aren't bad.."

"Hey come on man, your issues are just as important and need just as much attention as Charlie and I's do" Milo said as they stopped right outside the bathrooms "Don't let yourself convince you otherwise ok??" he added and Lilian nodded slightly before Milo took off his shirt and passed it to Lilian "Here, go change inside then hand me yours when you come out" he said as Lilian ducked into the bathroom to change, coming out a moment later in Milo's shirt which was rather baggy on her. "Here.. I don't know if it'll fit.." Lilian said softly as she hugged herself while Milo slipped on Lilian's shirt, which turned out to be more like a small tank top on him "Why didn't you just get your own shirt??" Lilian asked as Milo tugged at the collar of the shirt "Cause, maybe me wearing this tiny ass shirt will make someone happy" he said and chuckled as Lilian cracked a smile "Let's hope so.. I think everyone could need it.."

By the time Lilian and Milo returned everyone else had begun to eat their breakfast, but when Charlie looked up and saw Milo in the tiny shirt they nearly spit out their food "Holy Hell Milo what happened to your shirt?!" They wheezed which caused everyone else to look up while Lilian sat down and Milo smirked before sauntering over to Charlie who was sitting with Damion. "What?? See something you like??" he teased, attempting a sort of model pose which just made Charlie laugh more "Oh my god this is too god-" They wheezed as Milo said down with a triumphant smirk. "Daddy did you see Milly?? He's pretty funny" Milo heard Angel say and he looked to see the two sitting at different tables, but just close enough for them to talk without getting in trouble for being too close to each other. Marcus chuckled and nodded before speaking "I saw it Angel, it was pretty silly" he said and Milo's smirk turned into a soft smile. He'd been right, the silly stunt he'd pulled was making people feel better it seemed

"This is hilarious and all, but why the hell are you even wearing that thing??" Damion asked and Milo explained the situation with Lilian. "Damn, I knew they've been swapping the shirts for smaller ones. I get away with it cause of the jacket but poor Lili's stuck out in the open, and I don't think her anxiety is much help for her" Charlie said, playing with their fork as Damion growled dangerously "I swear I'll kill that asshole-" he muttered but Charlie put a hand on his arm to steady him "Easy big guy, we can't go starting a fight right now. The best thing we can do is to start gathering evidence. I think it's bout time we got this place shut down for good" Charlie said and Damion and Milo stared at them "But how, you've been here for years, how're we gonna bust out??" Damion asked and Charlie smirked lightly "Simple. We don't. Every so often some "inspector" comes in to make sure everything is up to code and we're all locked in our rooms so we can't state our case. Even when we try though, they don't take us seriously and Mania runs free"

"But how?? This place is just crawling with shit that would get her thrown in the bin for life" Milo said and Charlie nodded "I haven't quite figured it out, but I have a feeling they have fake paperwork to make it look like everything's all fine and dandy" Charlie said "But since the last time this all happened, people like Marcus's husband have been pushing for a fair check but I think having us on the inside to help would seal the deal. If we can leave something to tip the feds off to what's really going on here and the people speak loudly enough I think we've actually got a shot here gents" Charlie finished, fishing under the table for Milo's hand to squeeze which he happily gave to them. "You really think we can pull this off??" Damion asked and Charlie nodded "With an extra pair of hands and the best hunch we've had in years, everything's set for us to get the hell outta here"

Charlie had just finished talking, when none other than Mania herself waltzed into the mess hall "I apologize for interrupting your breakfast time but I have an important announcement" she said sternly and everyone immediately stopped moving, including the mess hall workers who made the food. "You will all be given the day off from your treatments" Mania said, but before anyone could celebrate or sigh with relief she continued "Except for Charlotte and Milo who I will be seeing in my office" she said and Charlie slammed their fist on the table "Why ain't we getting a day off?!" They asked and Milo put a hand on their shoulder "Don't" he whispered and Charlie huffed angrily before Mania turned on her heels, ready to leave "Do not question my authority Miss Smith. I will be seeing you both in my office. Now"

Damion gave Milo and Charlie an empathetic look before the two stood and followed solemnly behind Mania, ignoring the strong urge to hold each other's hand for comfort. No one spoke a word as they walked and all they got were pitiful looks until eventually they arrived in Mania's office "Sit down please, and do not make me restrain you" she said curtly and Milo pulled Charlie down into a chair before they could say or do something that would piss off Mania. "You're probably wondering why I singled you two out, but I've been planning this meeting for weeks" She said as she sat down at her large and organized desk. A part of Milo wanted to mess it all up and spit in Mania's face, but he restrained himself for Charlie's sake. "Of course we're fucking wondering, we could be on break right now" Charlie grumbled and Milo gently elbowed them

"I've decided there's no use in continuing my work if my little guinea pigs don't know what's going on" Mania sneered and Milo had to hold Charlie in their seat. "Here, this will be helpful in explaining, I know how slow you two can be" Mania said as she pulled out a drawer and took out 2 files before getting up and handing them to the two on the couch. Milo opened his and found it was a sort of medical file, though he had no clue what any of it really meant. "Hang on a second.." Charlie said as they thumbed through their file "Why do you have stuff about my family in here?!" They asked and Mania propped her feet up on her desk after returning "I need to get as much information as I possibly could about you" she said plainly "Now if you want to ask an actually useful question I'm all ears"

"What's this thing under medication??" Milo asked as he came face to face with an odd symbol he'd never seen before and Mania smirked proudly "That is my own creation" she said as Charlie nudged Milo's shoulder to get his attention. They were listed for the same medication, only Charlie had another one "Wait a second- You've been giving Charlie amphetamines?!" Milo asked in shock as Charlie gave them a curious look "I was yes. It was an old experiment that didn't end up well" Mania said and waved it away "I forgot to sponge that bit out, ah well my mistake, I'll get on it" "Do you know how dangerous that could’ve been?! Amphetamines are hallucinogenic drugs, and Charlie already hallucinates enough!!" Milo snapped and Charlie pipped up "Wait wait- you've been feeding me drugs?!" Charlie asked and Mania motioned for silence "I told you, it was a failed experiment" she said "We're moving from the topic now, it's not important anymore"

"Why do you keep saying experiment?! You fucking messing with us or some shit along with your torture?!" Charlie asked and Mania smirked "Now you're using your brain" she said "But why?? Aren't you giving us enough shit??" Milo asked, a sense of deep anger and betrayal building up in his chest "The whole reason I started this facility was to experiment with the human brain. And what better way to do it than with people who's brains are already broken. Besides, it wasn't like anyone would disagree with me" Mania continued and Milo could've swore Charlie was about to flip their shit "Fuck you bitch.." they grumbled and Mania clicked her tongue "Now now... I'm still in charge of you" she sneered and Milo was really thinking hard about his plan to spit in Mania's face as it was beginning to feel like a better and better option

"What have you been doing to us??" Milo asked and Mania chuckled "I'll explain in due time Milo" she said "Just be patient.. we don't want to tell McNeil that someone wasn't listening to the rules.. you wouldn't want anymore demerits would you??" she asked and Milo bit the inside of his cheek hard to keep him from lashing out "If you behave I'll explain everything, and if not.. well... it's quite easy to stage an accident when you work with suicidal patients" Mania said before sitting upright at her desk and Milo could've sworn he saw Charlie actively flinch "You're at my mercy now, so listen closely and I won't have to act on that staging plan"


End file.
